Soccer history proves rocky start hopeful

After its latest win against Northwestern State on Sept. 3rd, Louisiana women’s soccer record now stands at 2-3.

Though this may be a disappointment to some, for the Cajuns, it’s nothing new. History has shown that a rough start is normal for the Cajuns.

With one of the worst starts in recent history, the 2009 women’s soccer season is one many fans would like to forget. Finishing 2-16-1 with a dismal 12-game losing streak before even picking up their first win of the season, the Cajuns showed fight to the very end that year, win or lose.

Maybe the most impressive, and probably the only positive statistic of the 2009 season was their two lone wins, which were both achieved on the road.

The first win, which came in game fourteen with a 2-0 victory against the Florida Atlantic Owls in Boca Raton, Florida, was a sigh of relief for the team, knowing they wouldn’t go winless that season. Their second and last win of the season that year came in Mobile Alabama against the Jaguars of South Alabama.

Both Florida Atlantic and South Alabama, like Lafayette, struggled that year, with records of 5-12-3 and 3-15-1, respectively.

Typically in sports, teams seem to play their best when their backs are against the wall and everyone is expecting them to fail. The Cajuns showed resilience in the face of adversity every game, even when most people expected them to lose.

That 2009 season was the turning point for future Cajun teams. It showed that when a game or practice got rough and a situation looked bleak, the best option was to fight and not give up, like the 2009 Cajuns and their “never give up” attitude.

That fight was apparent a few years later.

Back in 2013, the Cajuns looked like they were repeating history. Through the first five games that season, they were on their way to another disappointing year. At 0-3-2 without a win in sight, the Cajuns went on an impressive 10-game run, going 7-3 overall with two different three-game winning streaks. It was a big year for the Cajuns.

For the Cajuns that season, to finish anywhere respectable, let alone over .500 at 8-7-3 after losing a handful games at the start of the season, was a miraculous turnaround. They showed that year when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

This season, hopefully they’ll have the same success as the team in 2013 and not the dreadful 2-16-3 season in 2009.

There is always one game that changes the momentum of the season, and for the Cajuns, that game might be against the Nicholls State Colonels, who are quietly becoming a rival for the Cajuns.

Historically, Nicholls has always been a formidable opponent for the Cajuns. Of the last six times the two schools met, they split the contests evenly at 3-3.

Louisiana is set to play Nicholls on Sept. 10. If the Cajuns can win that game, it might propel them into the rest of this season with the confidence that, if they go out and fight, they can, like the Cajuns teams of the past, overcome a rough start.